The blog
An assortment of thoughts, opinions and stories
Books I’ve enjoyed, notes from my workshops, and stories about writing, dance and travel
The Racehorse Who Wouldn’t Gallop
The Racehorse Who Wouldn’t Gallop
Ooh! That’s Polly! Let me wave out to her!Oops. I’m at an auction and I just ended up buying a horse for a thousand pounds. No, I’m not quoting, but this is the lovely…
Characters at the Writers’ Club
Characters at the Writers’ Club
Excitement is so contagious! The Writers’ Club was full of energy today because of two activities we did based on the idea of how characters come alive to readers. A week ago, I asked…
After Tomorrow
Flawed narrators make me squirm. When I read a story from the point of view of a character who does not make the right decisions, I often don’t know whether to read on. Fictional…
The Island at the End of Everything
The Island at the End of Everything
Amihan lives with her nanay on Culion, the island at the end of everything. Unlike most of the others – who came by boat to this beautiful, lush green island with blue skies –…
The Boundless
The Boundless starts slowly; I almost did not read it. But that’s what made me realise once again how important reviews are: I read on only because Katherine Rundell was quoted as having said, ‘WHAT…
Pig Heart Boy
Cameron’s heart is weak. He does not know how long he has to live. But there’s a doctor who believes that a heart transplant from a pig will give him a chance. And Cameron…
Making Millions
Nicholas wants to go for a masterclass, but his parents refuse to shell out the money he would need. What do real friends do when a friend is in need? Even though Cass thinks…
Radhika Takes the Plunge
A little over a year ago, I read the picture book Clumsy! by Ken Spillman and I enjoyed it. It is a sweet, heart-warming story about a girl who is often called ‘clumsy’, ‘careless’,…
A Place Called Perfect
I was a bit apprehensive about reading a book that promised to be ‘Perfectly Creepy’. I’m not a big fan of creepy stories. But I loved the cover and the title intrigued me, so…
The 1,000-Year-Old Boy
“References to historical dates, places and words in old languages are accurate only in the sense of being ‘not very’. Ross Welford in his Author’s Note to The 1,000-Year-Old Boy Isn’t that a promising note to…
